Voters in 17 Wisconsin counties and six municipalities backed advisory referendums Tuesday on a proposal to close the so-called dark store tax loophole.

Groups representing local governments issued a statement early Wednesday morning saying that voters made clear that they want the loophole closed and calling on state legislators to make that change.

"As votes are tallied across the state, voters in all 23 counties, cities and villages with the dark store loopholes advisory referendum on the ballot are projected to overwhelmingly call for the governor and Legislature to close the loopholes," the Wisconsin Towns Association, Wisconsin Counties Association and League of Wisconsin Municipalities said in a joint statement.

At issue is whether an occupied store is worth more than an unoccupied one.

Big-box retailers argue that vacant, or "dark," stores are a fair baseline for determining the taxable property value of occupied commercial properties. The loophole has allowed retailers to challenge and successfully lower their commercial property assessments, thereby saving them millions of dollars in property taxes.

Through last year, close to 60 towns, cities and villages had settled lawsuits by paying refunds to big-box stores that had sued to lower their assessments.

Local elected officials, who unsuccessfully lobbied state legislators for change, put the issue on the ballot. They argue that homeowners and smaller businesses have to carry a larger share of the tax burden as it shifts from the big-box retailers.

In Outagamie County, the referendum passed with about three-quarters of the vote in favor.

"It's an advisory referendum so it's not going to change the law at all but it certainly, I think, speaks volumes. ... That's pretty significant when you've got 50,000 voters telling their elected officials that we want this loophole closed," said Outagamie County Board Chairman Jeff Nooyen while the vote tallies were rolling in Tuesday night.

He said he hopes the votes send a message to state legislators on where voters stand on this issue.